2 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 COVER PHOTO This excellent photograph was taken by Biologist Dave Damon last winter down in Nebraska's quail territory. The picture indicates, better than words can possibly portray, the annual struggle by quail for winter survival. Depicted are the tracks of four quail which have gone into a cornfield in search of food.

4 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947

Hedgerow Management-Bobwhite's Ally

By: Wendell Harmon, Farm Forester, U.S. Forest Service, and David Damon, Biologist Game, Forestation and Parks Commission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writers are indebted to the many farmers who cooperated and assisted with the quail and hedgerow studies on their farms. To these men we extend our thanks. To the Soil Conservation Service personnel in these areas our thanks are also due for their assistance.

There will be no more quail hunting seasons in Nebraska if the familiar hedgerows disappear from the landscape in southeastern counties. That day may not be many years away if hedgerow destruction continues at the present rate. Studies of Nebraska quail requirements have shown that woody cover near a source of food is essential to the winter survival of this bird, and Osage orange bordering cultivated fields is by far the most important woody plant to quail in southeast Nebraska. In fact, were it not for this thorny plant, quail hunting would not now be possible in this state.

The farm forester conducted studies in hedgerow management and found that this plant, despised by many, can be a valuable asset to a landowner. In short, hedgerows can be made a paying crop where the farmer profits indirectly through soil and water conservation and directly through the sale of posts. In improving his own lot through hedgerow management the landowner also contributes materially to the welfare of wildlife, especially quail.

Unfortunately the profitable production of Osage orange is limited to southeast Nebraska. It is believed that large scale plantings and management of existing   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 5 hedgerows is practical in at least eleven counties and that a huntable surplus of quail could thus be produced in all those counties.

Persons familiar with the pattern of Osage orange hedgerows in southeastern Nebraska may not realize that in the early days of farming, this area was a treeless prairie lacking quail over large areas. The hedge was planted for the purpose of slowing the wind, making the country more livable, as well as establishing fences on the farm boundaries. With the combination of hedgerows next to cultivated fields the quail population began to rise and old settlers tell us of almost unbelievable numbers of these birds.

In the vicinity of Dawson, a contractor handled much of the planting for the farmers. He planted the young trees and cultivated them for several years, guaranteeing a successful hedgerow. In return, the farmer paid him in cash or gave him a mortgage on the farm. With the advent of barbed wire, hedge was no longer needed as a fence. From this time on there has been a continual conflict in the minds of many farmers as to the value of the hedge growing on their farms. As hedgerows were eliminated on many farms so were the quail that had depended on this plant for winter protection.

In the early days it was found that Osage orange was very durable for posts. In fact, many posts set fifty years ago are still in use. A market was developed for these posts and those farmers who liked to cut hedge were able to harvest posts periodically. One farmer in the vicinity of Dawson owned four miles of hedgerow. Each winter he and his boys cut one-fourth mile of hedge. By the time they had progressed around their farm, a new crop of posts had grown on the first cuttings. Other farmers, who disliked hedge, either pulled the stumps or set fire to them after the posts had been cut. In pasture areas where the hedgerow had been cut, livestock killed the trees by eating back the new sprouts. Along many roads, telephone and power lines were constructed. This has resulted in a constant battle between the utility companies and the persistent hedge trees. Some farmers have maintained their hedge as a living fence, trimming back the trees each year and forming a fence several feet high. This has been a constant chore, and to farmers who dislike working with hedge, the fence has been unsatisfactory.

In traveling through the "hedge country" one will notice that some hedgerows are healthy and appear to be growing very well, producing a fine crop of posts. Other rows are only partially stocked, having many gaps, and the trees show an unhealthy condition. The former hedgerows show that the trees have been given good care in the past, while the latter indicates the conflict between the farmer and the hedgerow. Unhealthy appearances may be the result of fire, grazing of young sprouts and the cutting back of sprouts. With the advent of bulldozers, the farmer now has available equipment which can push out a hedgerow in a matter of a few hours. He is often tempted to do this without first considering hedgerow values.

Reprints of the article are available without cost. School teachers and civic leaders in Southeast Nebraska are especially urged to obtain them for distribution.   6 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947

To a farmer who understands trees, the value of a good hedgerow is apparent. A well-placed hedgerow will form a valuable windbreak, protecting his tender crops from searing summer winds. It will retard water runoff, check soil erosion, aid crop pest control by harboring insect-eating birds and mammals in addition to providing winter security to quail. All this is in addition to the direct income to be derived from the sale of posts. No less important to many farmers is the aesthetic value of hedgerows, making the farm a more attractive place on which to live.

In looking over a corn field bounded by a hedgerow on the west and east it often appears that a crop may have been stunted by the trees. This was the object of a study by the farm forester this past summer. On the Merle Draper farm, north of Dawson, it was found that corn adjacent to the hedge on the west boundary was little affected by the hedge while the corn growing in the first three rows adjacent to the east hedge (a contoured hedgerow) showed lower production. It is possible that the trees caused the reduction of corn on radiation of the afternoon sun from the that side. A similar reduction of corn yields was noted in other fields on the outer rows adjacent to the south and west side of hedgerows. This is common in cornfields, but small grains appear to be less affected. In the Draper field the good corn growing adjacent to the west hedge was typical of the good corn found growing in other fields which were bordered on the west and south by hedgerows. It appeared that the quality of crop in each individual field was affected more directly by the fertility of soil, presence of low spots, time of planting and other factors than by the presence of hedgerows.

Mr. Draper reported that there were but few hot, drying winds this summer. He stated that the area protected by his hedgerow had saved his crops during summers when hot winds occurred. He practices seeding of a grass strip between the hedgerow and the crop. This is used as a turn row and can also be utilized in crop aftermath. The grassy strip eliminates the usual weed problem, reduces competition of crop with hedge and provides early spring nesting sites for quail.

The crop of posts which can be harvested periodically from a well-managed hedgerow will pay the farmer a high return for the ground occupied by the hedge. One farmer living northeast of Falls City has forty rods of hedgerow which he plans to cut this winter. He estimates that this hedge will return him $12.50 per rod in post sales. This is a return of $500 for a strip of ground occupied by this 20-year-old hedge and estimated to occupy less than half an acre   of ground. The farmer feels that this hedgerow has saved his corn crop from seering winds during several summers. His neighbor pulled all Osage orange within his farm twenty years ago and now buys posts. Recently he paid $100 for 200 hedge posts.

As an aid to farmers in determining whether or not to retain their hedgerows the following score card was developed. To use it the farmer needs only check after each statement either the "true" or "false" column (depending upon which applies to the hedgerow he is scoring) and total the checked figures in each column. If the "true" column scores highest the hedgerow should be retained; if the "false" column scores highest it would probably be well to remove the hedgerow and replace it with a new one on the contour as a field border. An imaginary hedgerow is scored on the sample score card shown here.

We have mentioned the great reduction of quail populations and the loss of one species from the hunting list if hedgerow destruction continues at the present alarming rate. It is only fair to say that already we can see a small light "which should be the forerunner of a bright future. Each year a few of the many farmers cooperating with the Soil Conservation Service are putting in new hedgerows on contour lines as a part of their complete conservation practices. In fertile soil which is common in southeast Nebraska, Osage orange is fairly easy to establish. Young seedlings can be obtained at low cost from private nurseries or through the Soil Conservation Service. These seedlings can be spaced about IVk feet apart, and planted in a lister furrow. Rabbits may cut off the seedlings during the first and second winters. However the young trees will sprout, sending up several shoots on each stem. This will result in a good wind-break, a crop of posts and excellent quail cover.

In order to avoid much of the trouble in the past, it is not recommended that Osage orange be planted as a fence. Because of the damage which livestock do; to the young sprouts, it is desirable that the hedge row be placed outside of the pasture area. In planting a hedgerow along a terrace or on a field border (as most hedgerows are) the farmer is assured that he will have a permanent terrace in this location. Soil washed from   8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 above will be deposited at the base of the hedgerow and eventually a permanent terrace is established.

In planting Osage orange in the past, the hedge rows were laid out north and south or east and west along the farm boundaries. These trees gave the most wind protection to the farmer's cropland. Hedgerows located on the north, west and south sides of a farm will protect a field from northwest winter winds and southwest summer winds. In selecting a planting site, it has been found in Missouri that Osage orange requires good soil for fast growth. Soil that is thin and rocky will not produce a fast growth of Osage orange.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We must expect that unsatisfactory hedge will be removed. Scattered trees in good pastures should be taken out for the improvement of that pasture. Hedgerows of very poor quality or located in such a way that they block the proper development of new field boundaries and waterway improvements will have to be removed. However, hedgerows should be replanted along the new field boundaries on the contour. Hedgerows along the farm boundaries which are not conflicting seriously with utility lines should be saved for the windbreak protection which these trees give to soil and crops.

  Hedgerow Score Card SHALL I RETAIN MY HEDGEROW? HEDGEROW VALUES* NUMERICAL VALUE TRUE FALSE 1 The hedgerow serves as a valuable field windbreak. 2 The hedgerow has 10 or more stems per rod and thus is valuable for fence post production. 3 The hedgerow benefits wildlife by providing nesting sites for insect-eating birds; winter cover and travel lane for quail. 4 The hedgerow does not block new field boundaries nor interfere with utility lines. 5 The hedgerow adds scenic value to the farm. 6 Other values. Totals VTrue (5) VTrue (4) VTrue (3) True (4) True (2) True ( ) True 12 False (5) False (4) False (3) V False (4) V False (2) False ( ) False 6 SHALL I RETAIN THE HEDGEROW?** YES NO EXPLANATION **In the above example there was a serious negative hedgerow value (item number four) along with the positive values. In this case perhaps the farmer can remove a short strip of hedge where it is blocking a waterway, retaining the rest for a field windbreak and other values.

10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947

KING OF HIS REALM!

By Rod Amundson

Did you ever hear of a duck hunter complain about a little cold, wet, snowy weather? During the duck season, that is. The same guy might seem like a hothouse lily during the winter months, cussing the least drop in the temperature, or the lighest flurry of snow. But when the duck Season opens, be becomes a robust, red-blooded he-man with live steam in his veins. He watches the northwest sky eagerly, hoping that a smudge of haze on the horizon will turn out to be a full-fledged blizzard.

The first fall of snow during the duck season raises his blood pressure. The faster the snow falls the faster his pulses pound. A nice blinding blizzard is just the thing to bring the birds down from the North and drive them into sheltered coves where blinds and guns are waiting.

Cold? He doesn't mind it a bit. He gets up about three in the morning, although four or five would have been early enough. He has stayed up until after midnight getting his gun cleaned and oiled, (for the tenth time) and making other last-minute, more or less unnecessary preparations. By three-thirty he has the coffee pot boiling and the whole house smelling of ham and eggs and pipe smoke. The little woman, if she is lucky, is snuggled away in the warm covers—sleeping, if she can. But very likely she will be awakened to tell him where the sam hill she put his heavy woolen sox.

A duck hunting breakfast is something to behold. At least three or four eggs, a quart of milk, a stack of steaming pancakes, boiling cauldrons of coffee, and a mountain of ham or bacon.

Breakfast having been stowed away, our duck hunter begins getting into his gear. Woolen underwear, two sets, and to heck with the cold weather. Two or three pairs of trousers, the outside pair being waterproof and usually almost bullet proof from a heavy coating of mud, tallow, and stains collected over the years. Now comes the woolen socks that disturbed his wife's repose, and a collection of woolen shirts and sweaters. Over these go a leather or a canvas jacket, depending on how cold it is and how long he intends to sit in the blind. Next is a vest-like affair which is completely emblazoned with shotgun shells, each tucked away in its own little pocket. Over this goes a heavy canvas duck coat, weight about ten pounds. It carries more shells, pipes, tobacco, some warm gloves or mittens, a couple of candy bars, and an assortment of other odds and ends so necessary to a comfortable morning in a duck blind. Topping the list,—and the hunter, is a heavy hunting cap, lined with fur and with big ear flaps that cover the chin, most of the face, and leave an opening for seeing and smoking.

So this duck hunter, who hates rough weather throughout the year, is ready for the day. Exuding odors of ham and coffee and pipe smoke, he collects his dog, decoys, and hip waders from the basement. He kicks a couple of snow-drifts away from the garage door, and cusses his automobile until it begins to sputter spasmodically.

Meanwhile two or three of his friends have been going through just such a ritual, and they meet at an all-night coffee shop for one last hot cup before facing the elements. It is safe to say that more ducks are killed conversationally in this early morning rendezvous than will ever fly over the blind.

By the time the decoys have been placed strategically around the blind, and a few extra weeds and bulrushes meshed into the sides of the blind, there is still more than an hour to kill. The wind blows a little stronger. The thermometer falls accordingly. But does our duck hunter, that wintertime hothouse lily, feel the cold? Not a chance. It is getting lighter now, and the only way he can tell the sun has come up is to look at his watch. Thirty seconds to go, and he hears the whistle of wings and the hoarse quack of a mallard drake. His ■ heavy mittens come off. He grasps a freezing gun without the slightest sensation of cold. His wrists and fingers become purple, his knuckles and fingertips turn white. This is what he has been waiting a year for, and the weather is perfect—for duck hunting. Now, it may take a day or two to break up a bad cold after this ordeal, but what is a little cough if the shooting was good?

Well, all things considered, there is nothing quite like hunting ducks. And there is no species quite like the duck hunter, once the season has opened. He is King of his Realm!

NEBRASKA TRAPPERS' GUIDE

Nebraska's Amateur Trappers Will Have A Useful Handbook.

Nearly every farm boy knows how to set traps and pelt the ani'mals he catches. Few people, however, realize that a lot of money is wasted yearly because furs were improperly pelted, stretched and cured. Realizing the need for a good publication on the proper trapping and pelting of furs, the Game Commission is publishing a handbook for trappers. The publication, entitled "Nebraska Trappers' Guide" is prepared by Dr. Edson Fichter, Project Leader for the Pittman-Robertson Fur Resources Survey, with the able assistance of George Hytrek. The guide has about 60 pages, and 58 illustrations including 44 photographs and 14 diagrams to illustrate methods of trapping, skinning, and pelting furs. The guides are available for free distribution to Nebraska's trappers.

ONE GOOD WAY TO SKIN A 'RAT

1, 2. The first slit-from heel of left hind foot, along back of leg and side of tail for about 2 inches. 3. Skinning out lower tail flap- after second slit is made in right hind leg, upper tail flap is handled in same manner. 4. Pelt is started forward by thrusting fingers under belly skin. 5. Pulling pelt from carcass- after skin is cut free at hind feet. 6. Pulling the skin free from front feet. 7. The last cut. 8. Good drying boards can be made from orange crate slats. Long wooden wedge inserted (on belly side) makes removal of dried pelt easier.  

NEBRASKA'S MILLION DOLLAR FUR INDUSTRY

There is money in furs and trapping. Witness the fact that Nebraska's trappers harvested over a million dollars worth of furs last year, and will repeat the performance this year. The average trapper is strictly an amateur, who spends only a few hours each year harvesting furs on his own farm or ranch. There are, however, a number of men who earn a large part of their income running their trap lines. Such a trapper is George Hytrek, of Lincoln. During the spring and summer months Hytrek may be found around Lincoln, working as a carpenter for the Game Commission. But comes the first frost, and Hytrek is on his way to the sandhills country, where he will spend the fall and part of the winter harvesting the crop of sandhills muskrats and mink. The trapping is done under an agreement with local ranchers, who receive part of the take as a cash income from their marsh lands.

Last year Hytrek took about 2,500 muskrats, and his share of the harvest amounted to a nice sum. But all of Hytrek's furs did not reach the market. Enough choice pelts were laid aside to be made into two beautiful coats like the one shown in the illustration. The coats were manufactured at a cost of about $275.00 each, including the federal excise tax which must be paid even on home-grown fur coats. The manufacturing was done by a Lincoln furrier.

Nebraska sportsmen are privileged among American nimrods and anglers. There is no time during the year when they cannot engage in either hunting or fishing. The fall hunting season opened with the turtle dove season on September 10, continued through the pheasant, duck, and quail seasons, with cottontail rabbits providing sport through the end of the year, 'coons and 'possums through the first of March. That is more than five months total gunning sport. But the fun doesn't end with the close of the season on these latter two animals. The hardy sportsmen will get out on the lakes and reservoirs in quest of perch, crappies, and pike.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 15

HABITAT AND COMMON SENSE

By DR. IRA N. GABRIELSON (Reprinted Courtesy Outdoor America Magazine)

From New York to the Dakotas the wails of the pheasant hunters have resounded from every angle. Pressure for bigger and better game farms, for control of predators for this and that flew thick and fast following a rather disappointing pheasant season as measured against the very successful seasons of the past few years. If those who are crying would stop and think for a moment they should realize that it is not now nor never will be possible for the land which must of necessity be primarily devoted to other purposes to produce continuously the maximum crops of pheasants that have been available in the past few years. The phenomenon in South Dakota where the pheasant population reached incredible heights, has been one that has become more unbelievable as the years have passed. Every biologist knew that sooner or later this phenomenal production would slow down. It did end last year although South Dakota still has a pheasant population that most less fortunate states would envy.

It is always well to get down to fundamentals. These are only a few of the many factors that influence the abundance of any wildlife form that can be controlled by human efforts. We can to some extent control the human take. We can build populations by improving environment, while at the same time protecting the breeding stock. These are about the only factors that we can directly control. Many of the other more important ones we can only swear about.

One of the chief limiting factors about which we can do nothing is that of weather during breeding season. This is a factor of major importance particularly on upland game birds such as pheasant and quail. A wet, cold season such as we had this year in many parts of the country during the late spring and summer hatching period inevitably means a greater loss of young chicks. Conversely, fair, sunny weather at that season means a better chance for young birds to survive. Excessive drouth conditions also adversely affect the reproduction of upland game birds and waterfowl. About the only way man can modify this factor is by the provision of as near ideal breeding and feeding conditions as possible. There will be a better percentage of success even in bad years in such areas than there will be in areas where food and cover conditions are less advantageous to the birds.

Game for the Future Let's make no mistake about it. Those interested in the perpetuation of outdoor sport are up against a real problem. It will be a real job to produce the increased stocks of birds and mammals demanded by the greater number of hunters in this country. There is only one way in which it can be accomplished. That way is not spectacular; neither is it going to produce quick results. We can build a greater average production for these species of wildlife in which we are interested only by providing more and better habitat for their use.

16 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947

WILDLIFE POST MORTEM

Some "Inside" Dope on Predators.

When you delve into the secrets of what birds and animals eat, you are apt to come across some astonishing facts. For instance the stomach of a coyote was found to contain 345 grasshoppers. Other stomachs contained such oddities as pieces of leather, parts of a rubber overshoe, wood, dead grass, various fruits and vegetables. One coyote stomach contained an eighteen-inch length of rope.

Such items are purely incidental to the work carried on in the Game Commission's food habits laboratory. The purpose of the food habits investigations is to find out what birds and animals eat and to apply this knowledge to better game management. Facts learned in the laboratory do not give all the answers. The laboratory serves only as an aid to getting away from guesswork in game management and putting it on a more practical basis. That fact applies not only to food habits study, but to all types of wildlife laboratory research. You can't manage game from laboratory notes, but many of the things learned in a wildlife laboratory point out the way to better game management. The sole aim of game management, of course, is more game in the hunter's bag, more fish on the angler's string.

At present the food studies being carried on by the Game Commission concern coyotes, quail, pheasants, and mfnk, with some incidental work on the food habits of hawks and owls.

Thousands of stomachs, crops, and droppings (scats) must be analyzed from collections made throughout the year before definite trends can be indicated.

Here, briefly, is how the work is actually done. Let's take the contents of a coyote stomach for an example, since more work has been done on coyote food habits in Nebraska than on any other species. The mass is washed in flowing water or in a mechanical churn. Now comes the real job—separating and identifying the assortment of materials. There may be bones, hair, flesh — any undigested matter the animal may have eaten. Workers must be able to distinguish between a fragment of pheasant bone and the bone of a quail, or a chicken. Cottontail rabbit hair must be distinguished from the hair of a jackrabbit or a domestic hare.

This job of identification is simplified somewhat by a catalogued collection of comparable materials taken from known birds and mammals. Laboratory workers are constantly adding to collection of reference materials, since they speed up the work appreciably.

In the case of birds, vast collections of seeds are needed to quickly identify crop contents. A reference collection of insects would be helpful, but usually insects found in bird and animal material are not given individual identification for practical purposes.

Scats play an important part of food habits study. Animal and bird scats are composed of the undigested part of their diet. Where these parts can be identified, they add to the knowledge of bird and animal food habits.

Although the importance of the findings of laboratory work cannot be over-emphasized, it must be pointed out that these findings are worthless until they have been evaluated in the field. Take this example. Suppose cow hair appears in coyote scats picked up from an area   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 17 the size of a township over a period of months. Cow hair was found, let us say, in 500 scats collected from 500 localities. On that information alone, it would appear that a lot of coyotes were eating a lot of beef. But here is where field application enters in. A trip to the locality where the scats were collected may disclose the remains of a single cow which died months before from eating too much green alfalfa. On the basis of the laboratory information alone it might have appeared that coyotes were killing a lot of livestock in that locality. But field investigations have proven that coyotes will visit the carcass of an animal for months, gnawing away the last remnants of leathery skin, and chewing the ribs down to blunt stubs.

The contents of a quail's crop, a mallard's gullet, or a mink's stomach indicate that that bird or animal has eaten certain specific items on a given day. They do not prove that those items are all that the bird or mammal eats. Hundreds of these examinations will indicate fairly definite conclusions.

The work done thus far with coyote stomachs and scats indicates that a large part of the coyote diet appears to be composed of cottontail rabbits, with jackrabbits second m importance. Rodents, such as mice, gophers, and ground squirrels, furnish an important part of the coyote menu. Thus far these seem to outweigh poultry, domestic livestock, and game birds. We still do not know whether the coyote's toll of rabbits is important enough to worry about, or whether he competes with the sportsman for pheasants and quail sufficiently to cause deep concern. We do know that eventually food habits study will help us have better game management by the removal of guesswork as to what birds and animals eat.

Apparently the most successful means of coyote control is through the use of professional hunters and trappers. These men exterminate "Killer" coyotes which prey on domestic poultry and livestock. Some are employed by the Federal Government. Game Commission plans call for a predator control crew to control coyotes and other predators.

18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947

WINTER FISHING-

is Fun if You Can Take It.

With the exception of trout, fishing in Nebraska is a year-around proposition. There are, of course, those souls who berate their fellows for going out on the ice after game fish. On the other hand, it requires a hardy, warm-blooded constitution to spend hours out on the ice when the mercury is barely visible above the thermometer bulb.

February is the most popular month for ice fishing in Nebraska, although operations may start as soon as the ice is thick enough to support a man's weight, and continue until the spring thaw.

Beaver Lake, up in the sandhills south of Valentine, produced a lot of sport—and food—last February. Conservation Officer A. G. McCarroll counted 175 fishermen on a single Sunday afternoon. One man in the crowd had a string of 42 perch, a total of 62 pounds, to prove that winter fishing is fun.

Methods of taking fish through the ice are as varied as warm-weather methods. The main difference is the fact that the angler can "walk on water" to any point on the lake he pleases and set up his rig. Another angle: he has to dig a hole in the ice to get his bait down below. This usually runs into work, especially after the ice has frozen down a foot or two. And when the weather is well below freezing there is the chore of keeping the hole free of slushy ice crystals. Frozen lines and frostbitten fingers do not add to the general comfort.

Set lines are commonly used, especially on warm days when the ice angler does not have to worry about several holes freezing over. A set line is usually a rig with a flag device which raises a flag when a fish takes hold of the bait.

When the fishing is good, however, anglers usually confine their attention to one hole, pulling the fish out as fast as numb fingers can replace bait.

A variety of baits are used, including artificial lures. The most successful, however, seem to be live minnows, with raw beefsteak running a close second. These appeal especially to perch. Artificial lures are usually of the metallic spinner type, heavy enough to sink. Often they are used in combination with live bait as an added attraction.

Fresh shrimp, pork rind, salmon eggs, even bits of red flannel have been used successfully for winter bait. But whatever the bait, fish from icy water are usually firm and of excellent flavor. Winter fish are there for the taking if you can take the freezing chill that goes with it.

  OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 19

Nebraska's State Game Refuges got a working over by the last session of the Unicameral, with a new reserve thrown in for good measure. The new refuge is along the Niobrara river where it divides Holt and Boyd counties. The new refuge extends from the west to the east borders of these two counties, and includes a strip of land twenty rods on each side of the banks of the stream. This new refuge is set up primarily as a waterfowl sanctuary, but will serve upland game at the same time.

Of particular interest to sportsmen will be a set of new refuge signs such as the one pictured above. These signs will appear on all other state refuges as well as the new one between Holt and Boyd counties. These signs are constructed of duralumin, and printed black on a white background. They are designed to be rigid enough to be supported by a single steel post, an improvement over the old black and yellow signs which required two posts or a wooden back support.

In addition to creating the new refuge along the Niobrara, the Unicameral extended the boundaries of the Dodge-Saunders and Garden County refuges to twenty instead of the former ten rods back from the stream banks.

If you wish to settle arguments about Nebraska game Laws, write to the Game Commission, Lincoln 9, for a copy of the 1947-1948 rules. The laws are printed in a pocket-size booklet, and are carefully indexed for speedy reference.

20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947

WILDLIFE EXHIBITS

For the Classroom

Students at Nebraska's high schools are going to have a good opportunity to learn the names of the state's fish, waterfowl, upland game birds, game animals, and fur bearers, when plans work out for a complete collection of these species.

In past years the Commission's collections have consisted of a few of the waterfowl which occur in the state, some of the more common fishes, and only a very few animals. These mounted specimens were exhibited at the state fair and several county fairs, sportsmen's shows and other occasions. With this relatively small amount of shipping and handling, some important things were learned about portable collections. The most essential requirement is the ability to withstand rough handling.

The Game Commission has engaged the services of a full-time taxidermist-artist, who has begun getting the collection of fish, fowl and animals in shape. The technician is Ralph Velich, of Omaha.

When Velich was in his early teens he developed a strong interest in the art of stuffing birds and animals. The interest grew until he had established a wide reputation as a taxidermist, and won first prize at a hobby show.

Velich's ability as a taxidermist stood him in good stead when he entered Nebraska University. The Zoology department hired him as a technician, and as a result he earned his education expenses. In addition to hi's work at Nebraska University, Velich worked and studied a year at the University of Iowa Museum, and spent a short time at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where he learned new and improved techniques for mounting specimens. Taxidermy has grown from a part-time hobby to a full-time occupation with Velich. His dream is to establish a museum of his own, perhaps in Omaha. Besides making life-like mounts of birds, fish and animals, Velich is making a collection of Indian relics such as pipes, game bags, ornaments, and wearing apparel.

But to get back to the Game Commission's collection: the biggest job will be to get a completely new group of game and food fish. Those used in the past were made with original scales and fins intact. This method, however, resulted in scales sloughing off and fins deteriorating so that the specimens soon became worn beyond use. The new fish exhibit will be made from plaster of paris with celluloid fins.

Although the present waterfowl exhibit is more complete than the other displays, a number of ducks and geese must be added. Ducks have a habit of changing their plumage from the bright, showy feathers of the spring months to the relatively drab fall colors. So that students may learn to recognize ducks throughout the year, a duplicate collection will be needed.

Everyone knows a deer, an elk, an antelope, or a bison when he sees one. These big animals will be absent from the new exhibits. But there will be muskrats, beaver, mink, skunks, opossum, badgers, raccoon, and cottontail rabbits; also weasels, fox squirrels, and perhaps the rare black-footed ferret.

Upland game birds will include pheasants, quail, hungarian partridges, prairie chickens, and sharptailed grouse.

The complete exhibit will not be ready for use for some time to come, but as soon as separate units can be fitted for travel, they will start on their way from town to town to be set up for the enjoyment of students and adults alike—to learn to know and appreciate more fully Nebraska's fish and game.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 21

WILDLIFE NOTES

By LEVI MOHLER YOUNG BIRDS PROVIDE OUR HUNTING

What are a pheasant hunter's chances of bagging an old pheasant? A look at pheasant band returns sent to the Game Commission in the past ten years sheds some light on such a question. Nearly 3,500 numbered pheasant bands have been returned in the ten-year period and about 83 percent of that number were from pheasants recovered in the same year that they were released. About 13 percent were from pheasants recovered one year after releasing, and only 4 percent were from pheasants which had lived through two or more winters. Only one pheasant, hatched in 1940, reached the age of six years before showing up as a bagged bird.

The heavy mortality, and relatively short life span of the pheasant, will suggest to the hunter the importance of a good annual crop of young birds if hunting is to be good in the fall. There simply aren't enough old birds left by fall to provide good hunting.

HUNTERS' REPORT CARDS

Six thousand hunters' report cards were mailed in late November to permit buyers selected at random from all of Nebraska's 93 counties. Sportsmen who have received these cards can give the Game Commission a valuable "assist" by filling in the desired information and returning the cards promptly. Information received from these report cards will enable the Commission to obtain an accurate estimate of the total waterfowl and upland game kill during the 1947 open season.

DUCKS IN MANITOBA

Albert Hochbaum, in charge of waterfowl investigations at the Delta Waterfowl Research Station, Delta, Manitoba, included these remarks in a letter written November 18, 1947: "The shooting season here was very poor,—the poorest on record. The last flight of birds pulled out between November 5 and 8, with the heaviest flight on the 6th, mostly bluebills. We are now frozen solid, and you have all of the ducks you are going to get out of this country."

(Fortunately, from whatever source, Nebraska nimrods got a crack at aboutone third of North America's waterfowl population during the 1947 fall flight. Ed.)

HIGH PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PHEASANTS

Conservation Officers and biologists of the State Game Commission checked the ages of 2,407 pheasants taken during the 1947 season. Young pheasants outnumbered adults by slightly more than four to one, according to the check which included birds from the northeast, central, south central, southwest, and far western areas of the state.

No area showed a poor ratio of young to adults, and the southwest looked especially good with nearly six young birds to one adult.

Winter and spring checks will show how the over-wintering population compares with that of last year, but the high ratio of young birds suggests that 1948 could be a year of improvement in "pheasant circles." Field checks will be repeated at intervals in order to follow population trends.

PHEASANT BROOD SIZE

How many young pheasants in an average size brood? Nebraska conservation officers and biologists kept records of the first ten broods seen in 1947. The field men flushed the broods and recorded the young actually seen, even if   22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 it was a single. 230 broods averaged 5.1 young per brood.

The 1947 hatch was nearly a month later than in 1946. June 22 was the average date for seeing the first 1947 broods.

IN THE BAG FOR DUCKS

Many duck hunters in 1947,-—and the year before, too, for that matter,—were interested in the Game Commission's waterfowl investigation during the hunting seasons in western Nebraska. Biologist John Wampole handled thousands of ducks in that area in order to get accurate information concerning sex ratios, young-old ratios, and other data useful in planning waterfowl management. 1947 figures are not yet complete, but Wampole learned that in 1946 about 87 percent of the mallards killed were young birds. Males outnumbered females in the mallard take by nearly two to one. 87 percent of the ducks recorded from hunters' bags in the Ogallala territory in 1946 were mallards. Gadwalls, green-winged teal, baldpates, and pintails were next in order.

WORK FOR AN "EARLY BIRD"

Pheasant population surveys get Nebraska's field men out of bed in the wee small hours during the middle and late summer,—and field records show the importance of the sunrise hour for such work. Special Investigators Roy Owen and George Rishling, traveling country roads with the objective of seeing as many pheasants as possible, saw slightly more pheasants in the hour following sunrise than during the entire remainder of the day. The two officers followed pheasants in 14 different counties in late July, while their fellow officers concentrated on local check areas.

Fifty-eight counties received special attention in similar work by officers and biologists in the 1947 pre-season check.

QUAIL CONFERENCE AT FALLS CITY

Game technicians from Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska met at Falls City for a three-day session in order to discuss bobwhite management in the three-state area. The second day was devoted to a field trip which took the group into individual farms to inspect game management practices which are being combined with general farming and timber management in southeast Nebraska. The meeting was arranged by David Damon, who has been in charge of Nebraska's quail investigations since 1941.

QUAIL SHAKE-DOWN YIELDS THREE PHEASANTS

Three post - season pheasants were found in a check of quail hunters recently when law enforcement officers of the State Game Commission conducted a highway shakedown along highway 75 north of Plattsmouth. Also apprehended was a party of hunters wanted by State Safety Patrol Officers for threatening a farmer with a lethal weapon.

OCTOBER GAME LAW VIOLATIONS HIT PEAK

It still costs money to violate Nebraska's game laws. During the month of October 163 violators paid a total of $2,767.00 in fines, court costs, and liquidated damages,—and contributed 27 shotguns and rifles by confiscation. $1,866.00 in fines were paid into the school funds of the counties in which the offenses were committed. $571.00 in costs were assessed by various courts. Liquidated damages in the amount of $330.00 were paid into the Nebraska game fund. Added to this will be the receipts from selling 27 guns confiscated by court action.

According to. Game Commission records, major infractions of the game code, such as hunting out of season, over the bag limit, and hunting without permits, have shown a sharp decline, while minor infractions, such as shooting game birds with unplugged shotguns, were most frequent.

In the opinion of the Game Commission, the marked increase in game law convictions was due more to an enlarged * law enforcement staff than to increased waywardness on the part of hunters. It is not believed by the Commission that this year's short pheasant season had any marked effect on violations to date. However, special patrols are planned to protect the birds during the coming months.

HOW OLD IS TOO OLD TO HUNT?

Hunters sixteen years old or older are required to have a permit to hunt in Nebraska, and the sky seems to be the limit on the other end of the age scale. Conservation Officer Don Lidolph, of Fairfield, made that observation when he checked a 91-year-old resident of Hastings out hunting pheasants during the pheasant season. The oldster was using a .410-gauge single barrel shotgun, did not have any birds, but anticipated getting his limit. This was his eightieth hunting season.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA—1947 23

NEBRASKA 1947-1948 TRAPPING LAWS AND REGULATIONS

MUSKRAT, BADGER, MINK, RACCOON, OPOSSUM, SKUNK AND CIVET

OPEN SEASON, November 15 to February 15, inclusive.

AREA OPEN, Entire State except Federal and State Sanctuaries and Refuges and State-owned lakes.

HOURS OPEN EACH DAY, All hours.

DAILY BAG, No limit.

POSSESSION AT ANY TIME, No limit.

BEAVER

OPEN SEASON, No open season.

FOXES

OPEN SEASON, January 1 to December 31, Inclusive.

AREA OPEN, Entire State except Federal and State Sanctuaries and Refuges and State-owned lakes.

HOURS OPEN EACH DAY, All hours.

DAILY BAG, No limit.

POSSESSION AT ANY TIME, No limit.

COYOTES

No closed season. No limit.

GENERAL REGULATIONS

All individuals desiring to trap must have a trapping permit regardless of age.

Individuals taking coon with dogs shall have a trapper's permit.

Fee for resident trapper's permit shall be two dollars and fifty cents. Non-residents taking one thousand or less fur-bearing animals shall pay a permit fee in the amount of one hundred dollars and five dollars additional for each additional one hundred or part of one hundred fur-bearing animals.

Any individual buying raw fur must have a fur-buyer's permit and keep records in the fur book furnished by the Game Department.

No beaver may be trapped on a regular trapping permit.

All fur must be disposed of within ten days after the close of the season.

All fur shipped directly out of the state must be tagged by a tag available at any place of purchase of permits. Half of the tag is to be filled out in full and mailed to the Game Department at the time of shipping. Additional tags may be obtained by writing to the Game Department.

It is unlawful to trap on the lands of another without his consent.

It is unlawful to mutilate or destroy the house or den of any fur-bearing animals.

It is unlawful to use spears, explosives, chemicals, or smokers in taking fur-bearing animals, or to drive them from out of holes, dens or houses.

It is unlawful to use ferrets.

It is unlawful to throw carcasses of fur-bearing animals into waters of the state.

Anyone in possession of live game or fur-bearing animals must have a fur-farmer's permit.

 

J. N. Darling's caustic and eloquent pen has written the history of American resources in a few masterful strokes. The progressive destruction of our forests, grasslands, and topsoil could not be better portrayed in thousands of printed words.